Cleaning apparatus



w. w; F'ARNSWORTH. CLEANING APPARATUS.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.1919- 1,383,455. I Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- W. W. FARNSWORTH.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY5 1919.

Patented July u lu J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. FARNSWORTH, OF LITTLETON, COLORADO.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. F ARNS; woRTH, a citizen of the United States, resid-' This invention relatesto improvements 1n cleanlng apparatus particularly adapted,

though not necessarily limited in its uses, for cleaning carpets, rugs, etc., and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved, portable device of this character which will be simple, durable, cheap, and compact in construction and effective and efiicient in operation.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this character by means of which the dust and dirt will be dislodged and removed from the carpet or surface by a blast of air, and from which air the impurities will be separated and confined in a sack or casing, the outer walls of which are impervious to air. This not only renders it possible to use the air over and over again but prevents the dust-laden air or partlcles of dust from escaping through a porous sack or bag into the room, which would result in the dirt being again deposited upon the surface which it has just been removed.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine ofthis character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and with parts broken'away.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the nozzle.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section with parts broken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail. sectional view )f the end of the nozzle.

Fig- 5 is a detail front elevation of the iozzle.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View of he impurities-collecting sack or bag.

Referring more particularly to the draw- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed May 5, 1919. Serial No. 294,672.

ings, the numeral 10 designates a blast creatmg device operated by a motor in a suitable casing 11 and which runs upon a caster wheel 12, all of the ordinary and well known construction of machines of this character.

The nozzle, designated enerally by the referencenumeral 13, is adapted to be detachably secured to the casing of theblast creating device 10 in any suitable manner such as by means of a clip 14 and fastening the nozzle when desired.

supported device 15, rendering it possible-to detach Th nozzle maybe of any desired size and configuration and is provided with a narrow inlet slot 16 which extends substantially across the nozzle and is adapted to be closed by the surface over which the nozzle is moved. The contact of the end of the nozzle with the surface to be cleaned and the roller 12 constitute the support for the apparatus 50 that the apparatus may be manipulated back and forth over the surface by the usual handle 17.

The nozzle is provided with a partition 18 therein and this partition is so arranged that the interior of the nozzle will be divided into two passages 1920. The passage 20 is provided with an outlet opening 21 which is adapted, when the nozzle is secured in position, to register with the intake opening 22 of the blast creating device 10. The par tition 18 is so arranged that the lower portion or surface 23 thereof will extend transversely of the slot 16 but will terminate a short distance above the surface engaging end of the nozzle so that when the nozzle rests upon the surface to be cleaned, such as a carpet or the like, and depresses the nap 24: on each side of the slot 16, the portion 25 of the nap over which the slot 16 stands, will be allowed to remain upright to pass into the slot and into the close proximity with the surface 23 of the partition 18 so that air currents circulating through the nozzle will pass through the raised portion of the nap. v

The passage 20 is provided with a narrow inlet slot 26 adjacent the slot 16 and the passage 19 is provided with a narrow outlet slot 27 adjacent the passage 16; while the passage 19 is provided with an inlet 28. This inlet 28 of the passage 19 is preferably arran ed adjacent one end of the nozzle and t e outlet opening 27 of the passage 19 is substantially co-extensive with the inlet opening 26 of the passage 20. The upper wall 28 of the passage 19 inclines downwardly from a point adjacent the inlet open-. ing 28- to a point in close proximity to the other end of the nozzle and also of the slot 26. The narrow slots 26-27 being disposed adjacent and communicating with the slot 16, will constitute and define the lateral edges of the slot 16 and as the slots 26-27 are substantially parallel to extend throughout the entire width of the nozzle, it will be manifest that air currents will issue from one passage into the other for substantially the entire length of the nozzle.

An impurities-collecting sack is provided for separating the impurities from the air and this sack embodies an outer casing 29 of any suitable flexible material that is impervious to air. This sack has an outlet opening 30 which is connected and has communication with theinlet 28 of the passage 19. Arranged Within the sack 29 is a strainer or filter 31 which may be of any desired construction but is preferably constructed of flexible material such as fabric that is porous to permit the air currents to pass therethrough but which will retain the impurities therein. This inner sack or casing is provided with an'inlet 32 preferably in the form of a tube or passage and extends into the inner sack for any desired distance, sufficient to prevent the dirt and foreign matters from passing out of the inlet 32 when the blast is not being created. This inlet opening 32 is connected with the discharge outlet 33 or pressure side of the blast creating device 10, so thatwhen the blast creating device is in operation the blast of air will be discharged from the blast device through the opening 32 into the inner sack 31. The air currents will pass through the wall of the sack 31 and into the outer sack 29, the walls of which are impervious to the air, thereby separating the foreign matter from the air currents. The purified air currents will then pass from the air sack 29 through the opening 30, into the inlet 28 .of the passage l9,through the passage 19, out of the discharge slot 27 across the slot 16 and over the surface to be cleaned, then into the inlet slot 26 of the passage 20, through the passage 20 into the blast creating device 10, from where it will be again discharged through the outlet 33. Thus it will be manifest that the same air can be used over and over again as it is purified each time it passes through the sack.

The portion 33 of the surface engaging end of the nozzle adjacent the slot 27 is preferably inclined as shown, in order to direct the air currents against the surface to be cleaned at an angle thereto. a

In order to vary or control the pressure on the blast creating device, there may be provided an opening 34 in the nozzle into the chamber 20 and which opening 34 may be controlled by a damper or valve 35. If desired, rollers 36 may be connected with the nozzle 13 to assist in its manipulation.

WVith this improved construction, it will be manifest that it is impossible'for the dustladen air or particles of dust to pass out of the sack or bag through the walls thereof, as is the case with porous bags, and thereby prevents the dust from again settling on the surface already cleaned. It will also be manifest that the air currents will be maintained against rarification during thetime lose a considerable amount of their force and efiectiveness.

The inner sack 31 and outer sack 29 are provided with a common discharge outlet 37 adapted to be secured in a closed position by means of a suitable fastening clip 38, commonly used in this art.

By the provision of the inlet passage 28,

in the manner herein shown, the air currents will be directed into the passage 19, with considerable force and in a manner to cause the air currents to fiow out of the opening 27, and across the surface 16, in a general direction diagonal to the length of the nozzle slot,

and which slot is closed by the said surface.

The air currents will then be drawn through the slot 26, into the passage 20, with the result that as the inlet 28,, and outlet 22, are offset with respect to each other in directions lengthwise of the nozzle, the air currents will be given a swirling motion against the surface to dislodge and carry away the dirt and foreign matter from the surface.

While the preferred form of construction of the nozzle has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the parts within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A cleaning apparatus nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and provided with a continuous narrow inlet slot adapted to be closed by the surface and having an outlet opening, a blast inlet passage in the nozzle having an inlet opening aldjacent one end of the nozzle, said passage the outlet thereof toward the inlet thereof, the said outlet opening and the said inlet of the blast passage being offset from each other in directions lengthwise of the nozzle. 2. A cleaning apparatus nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and provided with a continuous narrow inletv slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, said nozzle having a discharge outlet, a blast inlet passage in the'nozzle having an inlet opening adjacent one end of the nozzle, said passage having a continuous discharge narrow outlet opening adjacent and extending along the side of said slot, the upper wall of said passage inclining .downwardly from a point adjacent the inlet opening thereof to a point in close proximity to the opposite end of the nozzle and inlet slot.

3. A cleaning apparatus nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and provided with a continuous narrow inlet slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, said nozzle having a discharge outlet, a blast inlet passage in the nozzle having an inlet opening adjacent one end of the nozzle, said passage having a continuous discharge narrow outlet opening adjacent and extending along the side of said slot, the upper wall of said passage inclining downwardly from a point adjacent the inlet opening thereof to a point in close proximity to the opposite end of the nozzle and inlet slot, the outlet of the said inlet slot and the inlet of the said blast passage being offset from each other in directions lengthwise of the said nozzle.

4. A cleaning apparatus nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and having a comparatively narrow slot adapted to be closed by said surface, and a partition in said nozzle dividing the nozzle into two separate passages, each of the passages having a narrow slot at one end thereof defining the lateral edges of the first recited narrow slot and being substantially co-extensive in length, the said partition terminating short of the surface engaging edges of the nozzle, one of said passages having a blast inlet opening adjacent one end of the nozzle, the upper wall of the last recited passage inclining downwardly from a point adjacent the inlet thereof to a point in close prox-' imity to the opposite end of the nozzle.

5. A cleaning apparatus nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and having a comparatively narrow slot adapted to be closed by said surface, and a partition in said nozzle dividing the nozzle into two separate passages, each of the passages having a narrow slot at one end thereof defining the lateral edges of the first recitednarrow slot and being substantially co-extensive in length, the said partition terminating short of the surface engaging edges of the nozzle, one of said passages having a blast inletopening adjacent one end of the nozzle, the

upper wall of the last recited passage inclining downwardly from a point adjacent the inlet thereof to a point in close proximity to the opposite end of the nozzle, the inlet of one of the passages and the outlet of the other of the said passages being offset from each other in directions lengthwise of said nozzle.

6. 'A cleaning apparatus embodying a nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and having a comparatively narrow slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, a partition in said nozzle dividing said nozzle into two separate passages, each of the passages having a narrow slot at one end thereof adjacent and defining the lateral edges of the first recited narrow slot, the said partition terminating adjacent the first recited narrow slot and a short distance above the surface engaging end of the nozzle, whereby when the end of the nozzle rests upon the carpet and depresses the adjacent portion of the nap, the portion of the nap within the first recited narrow slot will remain substantially upright and terminate adjacent the lower portion of the said partition, a blast creating device, the inlet end of one of the said passages having communication with the pressure side of the blast device and the outlet end of the other passage having communication with the intake side of the blast device, the said inlet end of one of the passages and the said outlet end of the other of the said passages being offset from each other in directions lengthwise of the nozzle, the said slots and the bottom of the said partition operating to maintain the air currents against rarification during their passage across the said surface.

' '7. A cleaning apparatus embodying a nozzle adapted to be moved across the surface to be cleaned and having a comparatively narrow slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, a blast creating device, means whereby a blast of air currents from the said blast creating device may be directed from one end of the nozzle toward the other end thereof against and across the surface to be cleaned, the said means also operating to maintain a substantially equal discharge of the air currents against the said surface throughout the entire length of the nozzle, and means whereby said air currents will be directed from the said surface to the suction side of the said blast creating device, the said air currents being maintained against rarification during their passage against and across the said surface.

8. A cleaning apparatus embodying a nozzle adapted to be moved across the surface to be cleaned and having a comparatively narrow slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, a blast creating device, means whereby a blast of air currents from the said blast creating device may be directed against and across the surface to be cleaned, and means whereby said air currents will be directed from the said surface to the suction side of the said blast creating device, both of the said means cooperating to cause the air to have a swirling action against the said surface, the said air currents being maintained against rarification during their passage against and across the said surface.

9. A cleaning apparatus embodying a nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and having a comparatively narrow slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, said nozzle being divided into two separate passages,oa blast creating device, one of said passages havinga narrow outlet slot adjacent the first said slot, means connecting the pressure side of the blast creating device with the last recited assage for directing the air currents through said passage and across the surface to be cleaned in a general direction diagonal of the length of the first said slot, the area of the last recited passage decreasing in size toward the end of the outlet slot while thearea of said slot is substantially. equal through its length, the other passage having communication with the intake side of the said blast device and being provided with an inlet slot adjacent the first recited slot.

10. A cleaning apparatus embodying a nozzle adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned and having a compara tively narrow slot adapted to be closed by the said surface, said nozzle being divided into two separate passages, a blast creating device, one of said passages having a narrow outlet slot adjacent the first said slot, means connecting the pressure side of the blast creating device with the last recited passage for directing the air currents through the said passage and across the surface to be cleaned in a general direction diagonal of the length of the said first slot, the other passage having communication with the intake side of the said blast device and provided with an inlet slot adjacent the first recited slot, the inlet of the blast receiving passage and the outlet of-the other of the said passages being offset with respect to each other and in directions lengthwise of the nozzle.

In testimony whereof .I have signed my name to this specification, on this 1st day of May, A. D. 1919.

WILLIAM w. FARNSWORTH. 

